Falling Apart
by abbywesten
Summary: Tony's father draws his son into a situation that will strain him to the very limit. Can Gibbs keep his senior field agent from reaching his breaking point? Gibbs/Tony father/son, no slash.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Here we go, yet another venture into the wonderful world of Gibbs/Tony father/son, my favorite genre! It's essentially finished, so I should be able to get chapters up pretty quickly. Please read and review, and I really hope you enjoy my latest attempt! -abby

**********

Ziva and McGee arrived at the Navy Yard at the same time, 0645 on Monday morning. They chatted quietly while waiting for the elevator doors to open into the bullpen. Since they were fifteen minutes early, both were surprised to see Tony already there.

The senior field agent didn't look up as his partners entered. He appeared to be lost in thought, staring absently at an open case file on his desk.

"Hello, Tony," Ziva greeted him as she settled into her chair. "You are here early."

Tony jumped and looked startled. He hadn't heard anyone come in and grinned faintly as he replied. "What, a guy can't come in early to get some work done?"

McGee snorted derisively. "Sure. But _**you**_ never do, especially not on a Monday. Plus, we don't have any open cases at the moment. What gives?"

The younger man was surprised at the reaction. DiNozzo tensed and the smile dropped from his face. Tim noticed the fine lines of exhaustion and dark circles around his friend's eyes as Tony said sharply, "I couldn't sleep, McNosey. Is that a crime?"

McGee recognized the warning to back off, and raised his hands in surrender as he settled behind his own desk. He exchanged a worried glance with Ziva, but wisely said nothing further to the senior field agent. Tony wordlessly returned to staring at the large file. The only sound for the next fifteen minutes was the shuffling of paper.

Gibbs strode briskly out of the elevator at precisely 0700, coffee in hand. He took note of the icy silence ensconcing the bullpen and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He didn't mince words, asking simply, "Is there something I should know about?"

Three heads swiveled in the lead agent's direction, and before Tim or Ziva had a chance to respond Tony answered with a grin, "No, Boss. We're just trying to get some work done, that's all. Everything's great."

Gibbs could tell the cheer was forced, and he immediately noticed the fatigue etched on his senior field agent's face. He wasn't buying it, but knew better than to push. DiNozzo would push right back, and Gibbs would be that much further from getting to the truth.

Tony looked back down and continued studying his mystery file. Tim and Ziva, however, glanced worriedly at each other again before resuming their work. This time their silent conversation did not go unnoticed. Gibbs watched his two younger team members and wondered what, if anything, they knew about Tony's obviously foul mood.

As luck would have it, Gibbs' phone rang at that exact moment. He picked up the extension without taking his eyes away from his team.

"Yeah, Gibbs." His greeting was customarily brusque, but the caller wasn't perturbed.

"Hey, Bossman," Abby said from the other end of the line. She sounded subdued, and Gibbs was instantly on alert. "Can you come down here?" She continued, "it's about Tony. I'm worried."

"On my way," Gibbs didn't hesitate. He dropped the receiver back into its cradle and rose to his feet, not bothering to speak to his silent team members as he stalked toward the forensics lab. Ziva and McGee watched him go. DiNozzo did not.

----------

Down in her lab, Abby was pacing frenetically. As soon as Gibbs stepped in the door, she practically pounced on him.

"Gibbs!" She grabbed the silver-haired main by the hand and dragged him over to the plasma screen, which was showing what appeared to be footage from the NCIS security cameras.

"What is it, Abbs?" Gibbs handed over the Caff-Pow he'd brought the Goth scientist, and she smiled her thanks and took a sip before continuing.

"Look at what I found in the security videos! Director Vance has me looking through the footage from the weekend. I haven't had much to do lately and so when I asked him if there was anything I could help with, he said he's been getting complaints about the cleaning staff and-"

Gibbs halted the young woman's rambling tangent by holding up a hand. "_**Abby.**_ What does this have to do with DiNozzo?"

"Oh, right. Anyway, it looks like Tony stayed here at the Navy Yard all weekend!" Abby flounced back to her keyboard and pointed at the plasma. She tapped a few keys and the footage scrolled back. "See, here he is leaving with you guys on Friday evening, 2015 hours." She tapped a few more keys and moved the footage forward. "But here he is again, less than an hour later." Abby paused the image and pointed at the screen again.

Gibbs cocked his head and squinted. "What's he holding?"

Abby zoomed in on Tony's hands. "A pizza – of course – and that overnight bag he always keeps packed in case of emergencies. Look!" She fast-forwarded through more of the grainy images and switched camera feeds a few times, tracking Tony through the building. The scientist continued worriedly, "He stayed in the building the entire weekend. Worked out in the gym, showered in the locker room, napped at his desk, and went into the basement and came back with that huge file." Gibbs recognized the thick case file as the same one Tony had been intently studying moments earlier.

Abby paused the video and looked at Gibbs expectantly. "Well? If Tony's avoiding his apartment there has to be a reason! Why hasn't he told you anything?"

Gibbs sighed and gently kissed the young woman's cheek as he headed for the door. "I don't know, Abbs. But I'm going to find out. Thanks."

Abby watched the lead agent leave before turning back to the black-and-white footage of her friend. She murmured softly, "What is going on with you, Tony?"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow. Y'all are awesome, with all of the reviews and alerts and favorites already! I am blown away! And now I feel tremendous pressure to perform. Yikes. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Standard disclaimers apply, I don't own NCIS, am no sort of expert. -abby

**********

While taking the elevator back up to the bullpen, Gibbs pondered his options. _If Tony wanted my help with something, normally he'd just ask for it. Why hasn't he come to me? _Gibbs frowned. He didn't want to consider the fact that maybe Tony was in so much trouble he was afraid to get anyone else involved.

Gibbs' ruminations came to an end as the elevator deposited him on the correct floor. He schooled his expression and stormed back to his desk as though nothing was wrong. Ziva looked up as her superior swept past.

"Gibbs. We just received a call from Anacostia PD regarding that cold case. They have a possible lead."

"Good," Gibbs said gruffly. "You and McGee go check it out." He was pleased that Ziva seemed to understand his reasoning, as she simply nodded and grabbed her gear without another word. Tim did the same, and within moments Gibbs was alone with his senior field agent.

The older man regarded Tony for a few moments. The fact that DiNozzo hadn't protested being left at his desk instead of tracking down a lead spoke volumes. Normally Tony was eager to get out in the field and away from paperwork. Gibbs sighed. _Here we go._

"DiNozzo." When Tony didn't immediately react, Gibbs repeated himself more forcefully. "_DiNozzo!"_

The dark-haired younger man started and seemed surprised that he was being addressed. "Yeah, Boss?" His tone was weary, and Gibbs' concern ratcheted up another notch.

Gibbs stood and beckoned as he passed Tony's desk. "With me. Now."

Tony sighed as he resignedly followed his boss into the nearby conference room. He stood silently as Gibbs locked the door behind them.

"You wanna tell me what's going on, DiNozzo? Or do I have to drag it out of you?" Gibbs didn't bother with preamble.

Tony stiffened under the other man's scrutiny, and refused to meet the icy blue stare as he replied. "I don't know what you're talking about, Gibbs. Everything's fine."

That clenched it. Gibbs was certain there was a serious problem. Tony seldom called him 'Gibbs', preferring instead the far more casual 'Boss'. The lead agent decided to soften his approach. "Tony. Look at me."

Uncertainty flashed in DiNozzo's green eyes for a brief instant as he reluctantly obeyed. However, he said nothing.

Gibbs continued quietly, "You know you can tell me anything, Tony. Whatever it is, I want to help. Tell me what's going on. _Please_." He carefully emphasized the last word, one he used rarely, if ever. He hoped that Tony would get the point.

The younger man studied his superior for several moments. He had long considered Gibbs his mentor. More than that, even. A friend, and more of a father figure than his biological one had ever been. _And if the past few days haven't proven that…_Tony thought miserably. _I can trust Gibbs. I __**do**__ trust him._ He sighed heavily before nodding his head and collapsing into one of the large chairs around the conference table.

Gibbs sat down in the chair next to his agent, and waited patiently.

Tony spoke quietly as he began to explain. "Last week I was contacted by my father. It was the first time I'd heard from him in ages." Tony paused, trying to remember exactly how long it had been. "At least a few years...we had a falling-out."

At the revelation, a knot of cold fury formed in the pit of Gibbs' stomach. He knew that Tony's relationship with his family was distant, but as a parent, Gibbs never had been able to fully grasp the idea of a man who cared so little about his only child. He battled to keep the rage from showing on his face as Tony continued speaking.

The younger man didn't seem to notice his boss' internal struggle as he continued. "At first he acted like he wanted to reconcile, try to build a relationship." Emotional strain was apparent in Tony's voice. "He even offered to fly me to Manhattan on his private jet. But it turns out that he just wanted me to do him a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Gibbs gently prodded when Tony hesitated.

"He's trying to buy out some company, and the owner is refusing to sell because he found out that I was the one responsible for putting his son in prison. So my father wants me to 'fix the problem' so that he can complete the merger." Tony laughed bitterly. "Small world, isn't it? I've spent my whole adult life trying to stay as far away from my father's corporation and business ventures as I could, but he's still managed to drag me in. That's why we didn't speak to each other for so long. Because I dared to say that I didn't want to work for him." Tony buried his face in his hands.

Gibbs sat silently for a moment, wondering what any of that had to do with Tony's decision to spend the past two days at the Navy Yard. "I know you were here all weekend. Abby saw the security footage." Gibbs said pointedly.

Tony sighed, but didn't seem surprised as he looked his boss in the eye. "Oh, that. Well, some of my father's business dealings are a little…shady. And it seems that because I refused to help him there are…hard feelings from some of the people that would benefit from this merger. When I got home Friday night there was a warning note on my kitchen table, so I grabbed some clothes and came back here. And haven't left the building since," Tony concluded miserably.

Gibbs was stunned. He didn't know what he had expected, but he certainly hadn't been prepared to hear that. _Did he just tell me there's been a threat against his life?_ Gibbs was completely at a loss for words.

Tony smiled wearily. He knew precisely what his boss was thinking. "Nice, isn't it? My father probably wasn't the one to threaten me, but I'm sure that if he's aware he won't do anything to stop it. After all, it's a win-win for him. If I die, he'll get his merger and as a bonus he's rid of the ever-present thorn in his side."

Gibbs finally managed to find his voice. "God, Tony. Why didn't you come to me?"

"I didn't want to risk you getting hurt. This is my mess, you know? I don't want to drag anyone down with me. I'll take care of it, Boss. Really. Don't worry about it." Tony tried to sound confident, but in reality he didn't know what to do. _Gibbs is the only one I really trust to watch my six, but if he got killed because of me I would never be able to forgive myself._

"Right, DiNozzo," Gibbs snorted. "Someone's made a threat against your life, so I'll just leave you alone to deal with it." He was gruff, but Tony could hear the underlying concern.

"Boss, I…" Tony trailed off. He wanted to say 'thank you', but somehow those two words seemed wholly inadequate for the circumstances. _He just offered to risk his life to save my sorry ass. I don't think they make a greeting card for that._

As usual, Gibbs seemed to know exactly what his agent – his friend – was trying to say and responded quietly, "You'd do the same for me." He didn't wait for a reaction before continuing, "Is this the case file you were looking at earlier?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah. Lance Corporal Elliott Walker. We put him away last year for killing his girlfriend, remember? Anyway, his father, David, owns the company that _**my**_ father wants to take over. I was searching through the file to see if there was something we'd missed at the time, but the case was pretty open-and-shut." He chuckled mirthlessly. "God, Boss, this is so screwed up. Seriously, it's like some terrible made-for-TV movie. I'm sorry to bring you into it. I should have kept my mouth shut." He folded his arms onto the tabletop and put his head down.

Gibbs reached over and smacked his agent's head, but let his hand linger for a moment. He gently squeezed the back of Tony's neck. "No apologies. No way is any of this your fault. We'll deal with it." He sighed. "We need to get you to a safehouse while I figure out who made the threat. Do you still have the note? What did it say?"

Tony's voice was muffled with his face still buried in his arms. "Yeah, it's in an evidence bag in my desk, along with the knife that pinned it to the table. I didn't know how to get them analyzed without admitting everything to Abby. All it said was 'Stand in the way and suffer the consequences'. I seriously doubt there are any fingerprints."

"Well, we can have her test it now. She's worried about you, Tony." _And so am I,_ Gibbs added mentally. _Jesus, DiNozzo. I can't believe you weren't going to tell me about this._

Suddenly Tony sat up. "Can we leave everyone else out of it? It's bad enough that you and Abby know how jacked up my family is, but I really don't think I could face Ziva or McGee if they knew the whole truth."

Gibbs rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, I guess we can try and keep some of the details from them. But Tony, they'll want to know what's going on. They're already wondering, and they care about you."

"Just…whatever. I don't know. Tell them whatever you need to, I guess. I just don't think I can do it." Tony rubbed his eyes. "I'm tired," he admitted softly. Now that Gibbs was involved, Tony knew he could relax a little.

Gibbs didn't doubt that Tony was exhausted – if the security video was anything to go by, he hadn't slept for more than an hour in the past two days. "Go see Abby. Take her the evidence and then take a nap on her futon." He paused. "You do know I'll have to get the director involved." At his agent's resigned nod, Gibbs continued. "I'll go talk to him, arrange a safehouse. I'll meet you down in Abby's lab in half an hour."

Tony nodded as he wearily rose to his feet. "Thanks, Boss," he said quietly.

Gibbs patted the younger man on the shoulder as they headed for the door. "Don't worry. I've got your six."

----------

Tony took a deep breath as he entered the forensics lab. The utter silence was unnerving, and he knew it meant that Abby was every bit as worried as Gibbs had implied.

"Abbs?" he called hesitantly.

The Goth appeared out of nowhere and flew into her friend's arms. "Tony! I'm so glad you're okay!"

At that point the senior field agent realized that Abby already knew the whole story. _Boss must have called her while I was on my way down. _He chuckled inwardly. _Figures._

"Here you go, Abbs." He handed her two sealed evidence bags when she pulled away, one containing the handwritten note and the other, a large hunting knife.

When she saw the huge knife, the look on Abby's face conveyed her concern. "Oh, you poor baby!" She wrapped her arms tightly around her friend once more. Tony allowed himself to calm in her comforting embrace, and Abby sensed that exhaustion was about to overwhelm him. She led the tall agent to her office and arranged him on the futon just as he succumbed, and within seconds he was snoring lightly. Abby covered him with a blanket before returning to the evidence.

"Poor Tony," Abby murmured as she set about trying to figure out who was threatening her friend. Her eyebrows furrowed as she worked, and she was so focused on her task that she didn't hear Gibbs come up behind her.

"Hey, Abbs. Got anything?" The silver-haired agent handed off a fresh Caff-Pow.

"Nothing yet. Tony was right, no fingerprints on any of it. I'm not out of options yet, but it's going to take a little while. Sorry, Gibbs." Abby bit her lip, frustrated by the time constraints.

Gibbs pecked her on the cheek. "It's okay, Abbs. I've gotta get him to the safehouse anyway. Call me if you find anything, okay?"

"You got it." Abby paused, her green eyes wide with concern. "Take care of him, Gibbs."

"Don't worry, Abbs. Everything's going to be fine," he assured her confidently as he headed into the small office.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs patted his agent on the arm, and it was a testament to Tony's exhaustion – and trust in his colleagues - that he didn't even stir. "Tony. Wake up, it's time to go. It'll take us a while to get there."

The senior field agent awakened with a start, suddenly sitting bolt upright and gasping.

"Hey, take it easy. We need to go. The safehouse is ready." Gibbs kept a steadying hand on DiNozzo's arm until the panicked expression in his eyes abated somewhat.

"Right. Okay. Wait, why now and not just after work?" Tony was confused.

"Because, DiNozzo," Gibbs explained patiently. "The safehouse is a ways from here, and I'd like to drive in the daylight so that I can tell if we're being followed. And I can't take you out in the field today anyway, even if we were busy, which we aren't. Plus, you're exhausted and need to get some rest. Is that enough for you?"

Tony looked suitably sheepish. "Yeah, sorry Boss. Whatever you say."

Gibbs smiled. "That's right. Now, let's go." He held up the overnight bag he'd grabbed from behind Tony's desk on his way.

The two agents headed for the parking lot in silence, and had been in the car for fifteen minutes before DiNozzo asked, "So, where are we going?"

"Little place about two hours from D.C. An FBI safehouse. Director Vance wants them to provide the protection detail and head up the investigation." Gibbs sounded annoyed.

Tony couldn't stifle a groan. "Why? And please tell me it's not Fornell."

The older man smiled indulgently. "You can trust Tobias, Tony." He sighed and continued, "Vance says I'm too close, doesn't want my judgment colored by my personal involvement. He probably has a point. Besides-" Gibbs cut himself off as he glanced in the rearview mirror. "We've got company."

Tony looked over his shoulder. "I see it. Black SUV, three cars back?"

Gibbs nodded. "Yep. Hang on. I'm going to try and lose 'em."

Tony grabbed the car door for support just as Gibbs took a sharp right onto a side street and accelerated. The senior field agent watched the side mirror, and was disappointed to see that the SUV continued its pursuit. "They're still behind us, Boss," he reported.

"Damn," Gibbs murmured under his breath. He slammed the accelerator to the floor and screeched around the next corner. The sedan hovered on two wheels briefly, and once it fell back to the ground Gibbs pushed the speed even further.

Two more corners, then a straightaway. They were speeding down a quiet, semi-abandoned side road when Tony finally said, "Okay, Boss, I think we lost them." He wrinkled his nose and swallowed hard. "Ugh, and I'm glad I haven't eaten anything today or I would have lost that too."

Gibbs chuckled. "Jeez, DiNozzo, you're getting almost as bad as McGee with the motion sickness."

Tony never had the chance to answer.


	3. Chapter 3

A second SUV came out of nowhere and headed straight for the NCIS sedan. Gibbs swerved to avoid a head-on collision, but didn't quite make it. The SUV clipped the front fender and coupled with the high rate of speed, the impact caused the smaller vehicle to skid. Gibbs tried his best to regain control, but unfortunately it was too late. All he and Tony could do was brace themselves as the car rolled and came to rest on its roof at the bottom of a shallow ditch.

Dazed, Tony blinked a few times to clear his vision. He and Gibbs were both upside down, thanks to their seatbelts, and in a small stroke of luck the roof had not caved in too badly. However, Gibbs had lost consciousness in the crash.

_Shit,_ Tony thought with dread. _No way was that an accident._ _Those guys that ran us off the road have to be here somewhere. I'm sure they're coming for us. Shit shit shit._ He fumbled wildly, trying to release his seatbelt. "Boss! Gibbs! Come on, wake up! We gotta go!" There was no response.

In his hurry, Tony didn't consider the consequences of unbuckling and fell awkwardly into the car's roof with a grunt. He ignored the subsequent flare of pain and set about freeing Gibbs. "Boss! Wake up!" Tony pleaded desperately. He could hear shouts of people approaching, and knew they didn't have much time. "Boss, please!"

Gibbs came to just as Tony released his seatbelt and gently lowered him to the ground. The two men managed to struggle out of the busted driver's window. They had just gotten to their feet outside the car when they were surrounded.

Five men stood in the agents' path, each one masked and heavily armed. All of the weapons were trained on Tony and Gibbs.

"On your knees!" one of them barked.

"Who are you?!" Tony demanded. _If I'm going to die, I at least want to know who's responsible_, he decided. "Tell me who sent you!"

"I said, _**on your knees**_!" The man screamed again, emphasizing his point with a gesture of his gun.

Reluctantly Tony and Gibbs knelt, and were roughly searched and stripped of their SIGs, phones, IDs and backup weapons. Once satisfied, their assailants used the agents' own handcuffs to secure their hands behind their backs.

Tony exchanged a puzzled glance with his boss. He had expected a bullet to the head, execution-style. _What is going on here?_ He didn't have to wait long to find out. They were gagged and blindfolded before being dragged to their feet and pushed forward.

Tony could feel the muzzle of a gun in his back as he blindly stumbled along, guided only by an occasional shove. "Move it," a voice commanded harshly.

After tripping and falling twice, Tony finally reached the top of the embankment. He was lifted and dumped into the back of a large vehicle, landing against another body which he correctly assumed to be Gibbs.

Doors were slammed and engines started. Tony and Gibbs were helplessly thrown around inside the back of the van as it sped down the road, followed by the SUV.

After a few failed attempts at working off the blindfold, Tony decided it wasn't worth the considerable effort and resigned himself to riding in total darkness. He tried to relax and focus on the drive, trying to gauge the speed and pay attention to the turns, hoping to have at least a vague idea of how far they had traveled by the time they stopped. He knew it was a fruitless effort. _But what else do I have to do?_ Tony wondered miserably. _God, Boss, I knew something like this was going to happen. Should have just kept quiet and you wouldn't be in this mess. _

He couldn't tell if Gibbs was awake or not. He assumed not, since the older man had obviously hit his head when they crashed, but since both of them were gagged and blind it didn't really matter anyway.

After about an hour – by Tony's estimation – the ride became much less smooth than before. _We're on a gravel road,_ Tony realized. _No more pavement. Shit, that means we're probably in the boondocks._ The van rumbled along for another twenty or so minutes before coming to a halt.

The back doors creaked open and Tony was pulled to his feet. He was again shoved forward, but this time a hand kept a firm grip on his upper arm and guided him into what felt like a narrow corridor.

"Stairs," the voice from before said gruffly, and since he couldn't see Tony was grateful for the warning. He managed to stumble his way down four steps before his captor had mercy – or got annoyed, Tony couldn't tell which – and threw DiNozzo over his shoulder, carrying the agent the rest of the way down.

A moment later, Tony was abruptly dropped on the floor. He grunted loudly at the unexpected impact, and as he caught his breath he could feel the handcuffs being removed. A door closed loudly and a deadbolt slammed home, and Tony was left alone.

_No, not alone,_ he realized thankfully as soon as he pulled away the heavy blindfold and the gag. Gibbs lay sprawled nearby. Like DiNozzo he was no longer handcuffed, and Tony gently untied the two rags from the older man's face.

He was pleased to see that Gibbs responded to the contact and began to stir lightly. "Hey, Boss," Tony said. "You okay?"

"Mmmm," Gibbs muttered as he fully awakened and slowly sat up. "Yeah, I think so. Where the hell are we?"

"Don't know," Tony said. "Out in the country somewhere, we drove for about an hour then were on an unpaved road for a while. We had to come downstairs to get here, but that's about it."

Gibbs studied DiNozzo carefully. The senior field agent looked very tense and stressed, which was understandable given the circumstances. But Gibbs knew there was far more to it than that. "Did you recognize anything about the men that captured us? A voice, maybe?"

Tony sighed. "No, nothing." He rubbed his eyes and Gibbs could barely hear his agent's next words. "I'm so sorry about all this, Boss."

"What did I tell you about apologies? I meant it. This is _**not**_ your fault." Gibbs glared at the younger man sternly and cuffed him on the back of the head. "You did the right thing. You refused to give into your father's bullying."

"Yeah, and look where it got us." Tony indicated their tiny prison with a wave of his hand. "Honestly, I'm surprised they didn't just kill us both. That's what I expected. I wonder what the game is."

Gibbs wondered the same thing but he suspected that whatever it was, it held very bad news for his senior field agent.

----------

Sometimes Gibbs really hated to be right. Less than thirty minutes after he and Tony were locked in the tiny windowless room, three of the masked men returned. Without a word, one of them held a gun in Gibbs' face while the other two attempted to wrestle a struggling DiNozzo out the door. _Take it easy, Tony_, he thought as he watched with concern. _Don't make it harder on yourself._

Tony yelped as one of his arms was twisted uncomfortably behind his back, the hand forced up between his shoulder blades. "Keep fighting and I'll break it," one of the men growled angrily.

The warning went unheeded and Tony continued to struggle relentlessly until Gibbs spoke up. "DiNozzo. Don't."

Tony stopped and looked down at his boss as the two men dragged him into the hall, arm still painfully pinned behind his back. The one holding a gun on Gibbs followed and locked the lead agent alone in the room.

Gibbs rubbed his aching head as he fervently prayed that he would see his friend again.

----------

Tony did not fight his captors any further. Of course, he didn't make it easy on them either. He simply went limp, forcing the two men to carry his dead weight down the hall and into the room next to the one that held Gibbs.

"You're a pain in the ass, aren't you?" One of the men commented furiously as he helped his partner maneuver their tall captive into a waiting chair.

The senior field agent didn't bother to respond. He sat quietly while the two men roughly secured his arms and legs to the chair. A dark piece of fabric was used as a blindfold, and once they were satisfied that DiNozzo was adequately subdued, they left the room.

Tony could handle being tied up. He could definitely handle being interrogated. But not being able to see what was going on made it much harder to remain calm. He nervously awaited his fate, and couldn't help but jump when the door creaked open a few minutes later.

"Anthony DiNozzo." Like the others, the voice was unfamiliar.

"Hello," Tony replied amiably. He'd decided to switch tactics. Rather than being defiant, he was going to play it his usual way. "You know, I have to say that your hospitality has been a little less than stellar. I mean, really. No one likes to be blindfolded and gagged and-"

Tony's rambling was interrupted when he was belted across the mouth. He tasted blood as his lip split under the vicious blow.

"Shut up," his attacker said coldly. "I'll talk. You'll listen."

Tony stayed silent, although it was due more to the throbbing in his jaw than actual obedience. The man continued, "You can make this easy on yourself. All you have to do is admit NCIS made a mistake, that Elliott Walker didn't actually kill his girlfriend. Then they let him go, we let you go, the merger goes through and everyone is happy."

"Yeah? And how does that make_** me **_happy? Because then a murderer is roaming free. And really, I doubt that would make his girlfriend's family very happy either." Tony received another blow across the face, this time connecting with his cheekbone. He felt something crack and grunted in pain.

"You have a smart mouth, you know that?"

Tony attempted a grin, but it was difficult around his rapidly swelling lip. "So I've been told."

Tony gasped as his unseen assailant pulled his head back violently and whispered in his ear, "I'll give you some time to think about it. Consider this a taste of what's yet to come if you don't begin to see things my way."

As quickly as the man had arrived, he let go of Tony's hair and left the room.

----------

Within minutes the Tony had been deposited back in the room with Gibbs, unceremoniously dropped in a heap by the same two men. They had barely locked the door before Gibbs was at his agent's side.

"Take it easy," the older man soothed as he gently removed the blindfold from his friend's bruised face. He carefully rolled Tony onto his back.

Tony winced as Gibbs examined his cheek, gently probing with his fingers as he assessed the damage.

"I know, it hurts," Gibbs said sympathetically. "I think your cheekbone is fractured, Tony."

"Yeah," Tony whispered. "I'm okay." With Gibbs' help he sat up and leaned back against the room's lone bed.

Gibbs sighed. "What did they want?"

"For me to 'admit' that we made a mistake and sent up the wrong guy. That Elliott Walker didn't actually murder his girlfriend." Tony cringed as his busted lip split and started bleeding again. Gibbs silently offered the blindfold and Tony held the rag to his mouth as he continued, "He told me that I could have some time to think about it. And he's going to beat the hell out of me when I don't change my mind."

It was pretty much what Gibbs had expected – and feared. "Shit." He ran his hands through his silver hair while he wracked his brain, trying to come up with any solution. After a quick glance at his watch, Gibbs said softly, "Fornell will be looking for us by now, but who knows how long it will take for him to find us."

"Don't worry, Boss. It'll be okay. I can handle it." Tony shifted uncomfortably on the hard concrete.

"Come on, let's get you off the floor," Gibbs said. He gently took his agent by the arm and eased him onto the rickety bed. Tony sank down onto the thin mattress with a grateful sigh.

Gibbs watched the younger man get settled and shook his head before asking suddenly, "Did your father abuse you?"

At first Tony tensed, surprised by the question. "What?" _How does he know that?_ He thoughtfully regarded his boss before admitting quietly, "Yeah, sometimes he'd knock me around. How'd you know?"

"I've always suspected." And he had. Ever since the first child abuse case he'd worked with DiNozzo, Gibbs had wondered. The way Tony was on edge for several days afterward, the way he flinched if anyone caught him off guard. The lead agent had learned early on that even the most gentle of headslaps were a bad idea for at least a week after a case like that.

"Am I that transparent?" Tony eyed Gibbs suspiciously. _I don't mind if he knows, but if Ziva or especially Tim figured it out…_

"Tony. I've worked with you for a long time." He hesitated for the briefest of instants. "And I was a parent once. I can just tell."

The senior field agent didn't seem entirely sure how to react. He finally settled for a shrug. "It was a long time ago. I'm over it."

Gibbs deliberately kept his tone soft. "I don't think you can ever really get over something like that. And I'm sorry that it's something you ever had to deal with."

From the uncomfortable look on Tony's bruised and swollen face, he didn't want to talk about it anymore. Gibbs wasn't surprised, and quietly suggested that he get some rest. The younger man nodded, and after a few moments of tossing and turning, finally found a position that didn't exacerbate the throbbing in his cheek and jaw. Within seconds he was sound asleep.

Gibbs groaned inwardly as he unsuccessfully attempted to find a comfortable spot on the hard concrete floor. He could only hope that they were found before the whole miserable situation caused permanent damage to his senior field agent. Whether the damage was psychological or physical, Gibbs knew that there was no way that Tony would emerge unscathed. _It's already too late,_ Gibbs thought angrily as he caught sight of the rapidly darkening bruises on Tony's face. They had eclipsed the dark circles of exhaustion under his eyes.

There was nothing to do but wait. Wait and hope that the threats were idle. Wait and hope for rescue.

Gibbs hated waiting.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Seriously, y'all. I'm so glad you like this story, I am totally speechless at the number of reviews and alerts and favorites so far!! I want to say again that even though I never have time to respond to each review personally, I read every one of them and they mean a lot to me. Standard disclaimers apply, I don't own NCIS and I'm not an expert on much of anything. Please let me know what you think of this chapter! -abby

**********

Tony had not been asleep for long when the cell door burst open and the same three masked assailants entered. He lifted his head groggily when one of them barked "Come on!"

Gibbs began to protest but stopped when one of the men roughly shoved a gun in his face. "Sit down! We aren't here for you."

"Don't worry, Boss," Tony said confidently as the remaining two men hauled him toward the door. "I'll be okay."

The man aiming at Gibbs backed toward the hall, his weapon never wavering. Although it couldn't be seen under the dark ski mask, a sneer was apparent in his voice as he said "He may be wrong about that."

The door slammed shut and Gibbs was left alone with his worry once again.

----------

Tony didn't bother to struggle as he was roughly manhandled into the same chair as before. _It won't help. My only hope is to stall until Fornell and his FBI goons find us._ Suddenly he wished that Ziva and Tim were up to speed, but knew that Gibbs hadn't spoken with them yet. He'd been planning to do that after getting Tony settled at the safehouse. _They're probably still in Anacostia, chasing down that lead, completely unaware that any of this is going on. _

As before, Tony was blindfolded and abandoned. He sat silently in the darkness, anxiously awaiting his fate. _I know you're gonna beat the crap out of me. Let's just do it already. _Somehow the anticipation of a second beating was almost as bad as the pain from the first one.

This time the wait was much longer. Tony was left alone for nearly an hour. He tried to stay focused the entire time, straining to listen for any indication that his captor was returning. Finally footsteps approached and the cell door creaked open.

Tony turned his head in the direction of the footsteps - two sets this time - and waited for the inevitable question. Sure enough, a gruff voice asked, "Well? What did you decide?"

Even though it painfully stung his busted lip, Tony grinned widely and forced out an obnoxious laugh. "What do you think, asshole? NCIS didn't make a mistake on the Walker case. End of story."

The blow was not unexpected, and Tony's head snapped back with the impact. Blood streamed from a fresh split in his already swollen lip, but he refused to react.

He grunted as another blow landed square on his busted cheek. Then another, and another. It became harder and harder to bite down on the pain, to keep from crying out, but Tony wouldn't give in. _You can handle this, Anthony. Keep it together. You've had worse._

"Oh, we're playing tough guy, are we?" The tone was mocking and the rhetorical question was accompanied by another excruciating hit, this time to the stomach.

Tony was caught off guard by the change in target and couldn't stifle a loud groan. He doubled over as far as his bonds would allow, trying to curl around the fire erupting in his gut. _ Shit_, he thought miserably as he attempted to breathe through the agony.

Then there was silence. After a few minutes of nothing, Tony wondered if it was over. _I doubt it,_ he decided, still fighting to catch his breath. _That was too easy._ He listened carefully, trying to determine if he was alone. _I didn't hear them leave, but it's very quiet in here._

Tony's musings ended as he was abruptly cut free of the chair and pulled upright. The room became drafty as his shirt was torn away, leaving him exposed from the waist up. His hands were swiftly tied together in front of his body and he felt himself being lifted, arms raised as he was suspended from an overhead hook.

Tony could no longer touch the floor, and his wrists and shoulders began to ache as his entire weight pulled on them. _Like an animal at the slaughterhouse,_ he thought with bitter irony.

As he hung there, miserably awaiting the inevitable, Tony was struck by a disturbing sense of déjà vu. _That smell…I know that smell. _He did not have time to place the memory as fresh misery suddenly seared across his back. It ripped down his spine, echoed through his limbs, spread throughout his entire body.

Tony couldn't help it. He screamed.

----------

For a long time there was quiet. Gibbs watched the seconds tick by. Thirty minutes, forty-five, fifty. Eventually he heard commotion through the thin adjoining wall. Blows landing, stifled grunts, muffled cries of pain. Gibbs knew that Tony was being beaten.

He closed his eyes, trying not to listen even as he fixated on every sound. _ I promise, Tony. I'll make these bastards pay for what they're doing to you. I swear I will. Just hold on._

The noises suddenly stopped. Gibbs held his breath, hoping against hope that it was over, that they would leave his agent alone.

Gibbs' heart leapt into his throat as an agonized, pain-filled scream shattered the silence.

----------

In that second, time seemed to freeze. Gibbs had no idea how much time actually passed between hearing Tony's sickening screams through the wall and seeing the door to his cell open. It seemed both like an eternity and completely instantaneous.

Gibbs watched in dismayed fury as his friend was dragged back into the room. None of the captors said a word as they brutally dropped DiNozzo to the ground face down before bolting the door and leaving the two agents alone again.

Tony moaned softly when he hit the concrete. Again, the younger man was blindfolded. Gibbs wasted no time in untying the cloth. It was sticky and dark with blood.

"Jesus, Tony. What did they do to you?" Gibbs murmured as he took in the sight of his senior field agent. Tony's face was even more swollen and bruised than before, and blood welled slowly out of several vicious-looking cuts.

Far more worrisome, however, was his back. From shoulders to waist, the skin was shredded and bleeding freely. As Gibbs applied gentle pressure to the wounds, he noticed the angry, raw rope burns encircling both of Tony's wrists. Suddenly he realized what had happened. "My god. You were whipped."

Gibbs had assumed that Tony was unconscious and did not expect a response to his revelation. He startled slightly as the injured man stirred beneath his hands. "Yeah…I couldn't see…" Tony whispered. His eyes were closed, and he whimpered under Gibbs' ministrations.

"I'm sorry, Tony. I know it hurts." Gibbs' voice shook with fury. _I will make them pay. God help me, I will kill them all if that's what it takes. And if I find out that his father knew about this…_

"It's okay-" Tony began, but Gibbs cut him off.

"Goddammit! It is _**not**_ okay!" Gibbs fought to soften his tone before continuing, "You do not deserve this. You did nothing wrong. _**Nothing.**_ You didn't deserve the abuse as a child, and you don't deserve it now. Do you understand?" _Dammit, DiNozzo, somehow I am going to make you understand. _It was tearing Gibbs apart to see his friend in such pain, both emotional and physical. _Don't you get how important you are to me?_

Tony's emotional struggle was clear on his battered face. After a few moments, he finally whispered, "Got it, Boss."

_I seriously doubt that,_ Gibbs thought wearily, _but it's a start._ Out loud he said, "Good. I need to check you over, see how bad it is, okay? It's going to hurt."

"I know," Tony whispered miserably. "Do it."

Gibbs nodded, and began carefully examining the extent of the damage to Tony's body. There was a sink in the corner of the room, and Gibbs rinsed the blindfold and used it to clean the deep lacerations on Tony's back. He tried to be gentle but from the quiet moans and whimpers, Gibbs knew that he was causing his agent tremendous pain.

"I'm sorry," Gibbs said again. He was relieved to find that despite the amount of blood, none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening. The lashes across his back were by far the worst, although Tony's fractured left cheekbone had obviously sustained more damage. It had swollen so badly he could hardly open his eye. Gibbs gently cleaned the wounds on Tony's face before asking softly, "Do you think you can get up? I'll help you onto the bed."

"Mmmm," Tony murmured, half-asleep, still lying on his stomach on the uncomfortable floor.

Gibbs sighed. He really didn't want to leave Tony on the hard, cold concrete, but couldn't lift the taller man without risking further injury. Finally he came up with a solution and pulled the thin mattress off the bed frame, placing it on the floor next to his agent. "Here, come on. " He managed to rouse Tony just enough to move him onto it, and within moments of getting settled on the soft surface Tony dozed off.

For the next hour Gibbs sat there on the floor, watching for signs of distress as Tony slept. The lead agent's fury grew with each moment that passed, and he rubbed his aching temples in frustration.

Without warning, the cell door banged open. Gibbs looked up angrily as one of the masked captors entered.

"I won't let you take him again." Gibbs said fiercely as he moved between Tony and the door. But he knew the threat was an idle one and if they wanted to take Tony, there wouldn't be much he could do about it. _Won't stop me from trying._

"Don't worry," the man snarled contemptuously. "He's safe for now. I was ordered to bring you something to eat." He placed a large paper bag on the ground and as he turned to leave said simply, "Enjoy."

Gibbs watched as the door closed before warily turning his attention to the bag. He slowly unfolded the top and peeked inside. Sure enough, it contained two sandwiches and two large bottles of water. All of a sudden Gibbs' stomach reminded him that it had been several hours since his last meal. _DiNozzo first,_ he decided.

Carefully he approached the injured man, aware that he would probably spook easily. _There's always post-traumatic stress after a beating like that…especially if you were blind while it happened,_ Gibbs thought, furious that he hadn't been able to protect Tony. He laid a gentle hand on DiNozzo's bare shoulder, avoiding the numerous welts and gashes.

"Tony." The reaction was about what Gibbs had expected. Tony startled awake with a gasp, followed by a strangled cry of pain. "Shh, easy," Gibbs soothed. "It's just me."

"Boss?" Tony whispered. His left eye had swollen completely shut, and lying on his stomach with his one good eye buried in the mattress, he couldn't see Gibbs.

"Yeah." He could tell that his agent was disoriented. "Do you want to sit up?"

"Mm-hmm." Tony confirmed, and Gibbs carefully helped him lever into a sitting position. Tony blinked his right eye a few times and slowly focused on his boss.

"Better?" Gibbs cringed as he noticed the bruising on Tony's abdomen for the first time. "Jesus, DiNozzo," he breathed, "they really worked you over."

Tony managed a weak smile around his split lip. "Yeah. It wasn't the most fun I've ever had."

Gibbs snorted, but he was glad to see even a glimmer of the DiNozzo he knew and loved like a son. "Always a smart ass." The smile dropped off his face as he visually examined Tony's injuries. "Do you feel up to some food? They brought sandwiches that seem fairly safe."

Tony groaned. "No way." His stomach was churning and he felt nauseated. "You go ahead."

Gibbs had expected as much and replied firmly, "You need to drink some water at least. Here," he opened one of the bottles and placed it in Tony's hand. He watched appraisingly as Tony took a cautious sip. "More," he prodded. Once satisfied that Tony wasn't in imminent danger of dehydration, Gibbs unwrapped one of the sandwiches and took a bite.

The senior field agent sat quietly as Gibbs ate, trying to remain as still as he could. Even breathing tore painfully at the damaged skin on his back. He finally commented softly, "I don't think they plan to kill us. They made sure we didn't see where they brought us. They're careful to keep their faces hidden, and I've never had a captor provide food before."

_Only Tony would have a frame of reference for being held captive. He's got a point, though_. Gibbs nodded as he swallowed the last bite of his sandwich. "You're probably right."

"I'm just wondering who's doing all of this." Tony took another drink of water, wincing as the bottle caught his busted lip. "Maybe some of my father's employees. They're the ones who the merger would benefit the most."

Gibbs hesitated briefly before asking, "You still don't recognize any of them?"

Tony gingerly shook his head and closed his eyes, trying to recall anything that might be of use. Suddenly a memory came rushing back, taunting him, assaulting him with the horror of everything it represented. "Gonna be sick," was all he could manage as he awkwardly got to his feet and lurched toward the sink in the corner of the room.

Shocked and concerned, Gibbs gently helped to keep Tony upright as he gagged, then vomited. Once he finally stopped retching he continued to stand there, head hanging forward, arms shaking as he gripped the edges of the small sink. After a few moments, Tony's knees gave out. Gibbs eased his trembling agent carefully to the ground and sat down beside him.

"Hey. What happened?" Gibbs kept his voice low and gentle. It was the tone he usually reserved for frightened children, but it seemed appropriate given the circumstances.

"The smell…" Tony shuddered and swallowed hard. "I remembered the smell…"

Gibbs noted the pallor of Tony's face and wondered if he was going to be sick again. "What smell?"

_That horrible smell, oh god, I'm gonna puke. _Tony groaned and tried to get to his feet as he started gagging once more. Gibbs helped him up and maneuvered him over the sink just in time. He kept a firm but gentle grip on the undamaged part of Tony's shoulders and steadied the younger man as he retched thin, watery bile into the sink.

Finally Tony managed to stop heaving and allowed Gibbs to help him across the room. Once he was settled back on the thin mattress, he found his voice. "Sandalwood," he said softly.

Gibbs didn't follow. "Sandalwood?" he repeated.

Tony nodded, and swallowed hard. "Yeah," he whispered. "The scent of some cologne…my father has it specially made in Paris. He has ever since I was little. It costs $1500 an ounce."

Gibbs blinked in disbelief. "Fifteen _hundred _dollars?"

"Yeah, my mother loved it." Tony's voice sounded far away. Gibbs knew that he was thinking of the woman he'd hardly known, who had died when he was only eleven years old. "The day of her funeral, I accidentally dropped the bottle. It shattered on the bathroom floor. The scent was so strong…it got all over my clothes, it was all I could smell…" he trailed off, and seemed to be reliving the memory.

Gibbs sat patiently, unwilling to force Tony to reveal something so obviously painful.

After a moment, Tony continued. His whisper was so quiet Gibbs had to strain to listen. "When my father found what I'd done…he told me I had disrespected my mother. He'd never hit me before that day, but…"

Gibbs felt his own hands begin to shake with fury. He stopped the younger man with a gentle, supportive squeeze of the shoulder. "Hey. It's okay. You don't have to keep going."

Tony looked up, and met Gibbs' gaze with his one open eye. His voice was stronger as he said, "I smelled it today. When I was being…whipped."

"What?" Gibbs wasn't sure he wanted to confirm what Tony had just implied.

"My father is behind this, Boss. He was in the room."

Gibbs knew he looked every bit as horrified as he felt. He couldn't hide his wrath as he asked, "Are you sure?"

The whispered response was heart-rending. "I know that smell." _I'll never forget it._ _I wish I could,_ Tony thought miserably as he felt his stomach turn. He knew it was about to betray him and he struggled to his feet, feeling Gibbs' deft touch under his elbow, helping to guide him back to the sink.

There was simply nothing left, and Tony dry heaved for a few minutes before collapsing. Gibbs caught his agent before he hit the ground.

"I've got you," Gibbs whispered to his semi-conscious friend. "I've got you. Always." He gently laid Tony on the mattress and tried to make the younger man as comfortable as possible, no small task given the extent of his injuries.

Tony whimpered softly and stirred, trying to find a position that didn't worsen the pain radiating from almost every part of his body. Finally he settled and fell into a fitful sleep. Gibbs stayed by his side all night, murmuring in soothing tones whenever he cried out in pain. _Or fear_, Gibbs thought angrily. He couldn't even imagine what Tony was going through. _How betrayed he must be feeling, knowing that not only was his father standing by as he was savagely beaten, that he had a hand in it._

Gibbs suddenly felt nauseated, and closed his eyes to center himself. _You have to help him through this, or it could destroy him. This could be what finally tears him apart. He's been through so much already. _Gibbs could hardly consider the possibility that the trauma may be more than Tony could handle, that he might finally have reached his limit. _No._ _Not an option. He'll fight this. He's tough, he can make it. He has to._

Eventually Gibbs' own exhaustion caught up with him and he dozed, leaning uncomfortably against the empty bed frame. He awoke with a start some time later when the door banged open. Their captors had returned.

"Rise and shine!" The one pointing a gun at Gibbs sneered, as his cohorts grabbed a groggy, confused DiNozzo by the arms and roughly hauled him upright.

Tony inhaled sharply, and Gibbs could see that the brutal treatment had caused several of the wounds on his back to reopen. Heedless of the gun pointed directly at him, Gibbs made a decision.

Even with just one functioning eye, Tony could read the older man's face as easily as though he'd spoken out loud. "Boss, please don't," he begged weakly. _I'd rather them beat me to death than have something happen to you._

Gibbs just shook his head. "I said I wouldn't let them take you again."

"It's not worth it, Boss," Tony pleaded. Gibbs heard what the younger man meant – _**I'm**__ not worth it._

"You _**are**_ worth it, Tony," Gibbs replied firmly as in one swift motion, he rose from the floor and launched himself at the gunman. The two men struggled for the weapon, and it was only a split-second before Gibbs knocked it out of his opponent's hand. He grabbed the masked man by the throat as they fought, and managed to gain the upper hand. There was a sickening crack and the man fell to the ground, his neck broken.

Tony was too unsteady to keep his footing when his captors let him go. He hit the ground hard and could only watch in stunned horror as a shot was fired.

Gibbs dropped like a stone, landing on the gunman he'd killed. One of the other captors kicked the motionless agent off his cohort and vainly checked the masked man for a pulse. Finding none, he cursed vehemently before helping his partner drag Tony back to his feet.

"Boss!" Tony screamed, desperate for a response. _Please don't be dead_, he thought in terror as he was forcefully dragged into the hallway. "Boss!" Tony kept screaming as he fought with everything he had, struggling frantically to get away, to get to his superior's side.

Gibbs' seemingly lifeless body, blood slowly leaking from the bullet wound to his head, was the last thing Tony saw. As he fought, a dirty rag was tied around his face and he was blind once again.

----------

Tony was completely numb.

He could tell that his hands were being bound together, he was vaguely aware that he was being lifted. He knew it should be agonizing to have his entire body weight hanging on already sore arms. He knew that the cuts and welts across his back should be burning like fire. He knew that he should feel something, but he didn't. He couldn't bring himself to care. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Tony had only one thought. _He's dead. The only man who has ever given a shit about me is dead._

Time no longer had meaning. _I was wrong. I underestimated my father. Gibbs is dead because of him - because of **me** - and soon I'll be dead too. _ Tony had no idea how long he stayed hanging there, blind and suffering, trying to keep it together even as he was on the brink of falling apart completely. _Oh god, he's dead. Boss is really gone…this can't be happening…_

The door finally opened and as Tony listened, two sets of footsteps were audible. With an effort he lifted his head and turned it in the direction of the sound. Suddenly, he was overcome by the horribly familiar scent of sandalwood. _He's here._ Tony swallowed hard in an attempt to ward off the looming nausea. He mustered what remaining strength and ferocity he had, and asked the only question that came to mind.

"How could you?" Tony's voice trembled from pain and fatigue, but he refused to allow his father to think it was from weakness. He would not let his father think that he was afraid. _I'm not weak. You always tried to tell me that I am, but Gibbs says I'm not. I know I'm not._ He took a deep breath, and his voice did not waver as he repeated, "How could you do this? I'm your _son_."

Tony did not expect an answer, nor did he receive one. The only response was the lash of a whip, scoring white-hot agony across his ruined back.


	5. Chapter 5

Gibbs came back to consciousness slowly. His head was throbbing mercilessly and he groaned. _What the hell happened? _Eventually he managed to sit up, holding a hand to the very tender side of his head. When his fingers came away bloody the memories rushed back. _Tony…_

He glanced up and his heart seized in his chest. "Oh Jesus," he whispered. Gibbs pushed aside his own pain as he scrambled frantically across the room.

DiNozzo had been dumped on the mattress and was curled up on his side. His wrists were tightly bound in front of him, and a blindfold still covered his eyes. Blood from fresh lacerations – both on his chest and his back – had run down his body and soaked into the fabric of the thin bed. It was obvious that Tony had again been viciously whipped.

The senior field agent was completely motionless, and for a terrible moment Gibbs thought it was over, that it was too late. He faltered slightly as he searched for a pulse. Upon locating it, slow but steady, he sagged in relief. _Thank god._

Gibbs set about cautiously removing the blindfold but as he began to untie it, Tony startled. The injured man cried out, but whether it was from pain or fear Gibbs couldn't be sure. _Probably both._

"Shh, Tony." Gibbs pulled away the blindfold as Tony began to resist. "Hey, calm down. It's just me." Tony continued struggling, and suddenly Gibbs realized that his other eye had swollen shut as well. _He can't see. He doesn't know who I am._

Tony kept fighting weakly, trying to get away. He didn't seem to recognize Gibbs' voice, something that terrified the older man far more than he was willing to admit. _Shit, Tony, calm down. Listen to me._

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs put just the right amount of command into his tone and accompanied the single word with a very gentle smack to the back of his agent's head.

It had the intended effect. Tony immediately stilled and whispered hopefully, "Boss?" Although he could not open his eyes, he turned his face in the direction of Gibbs' voice.

Gibbs sighed, relieved. "Yeah. It's me." He smoothed hair, matted and sticky with blood, away from his friend's forehead. Tony visibly relaxed under his touch.

The senior field agent croaked hoarsely, "I thought…you were dead."

"Nah. Just a graze. I've got a hard head." Gibbs bent over the bloodstained ropes that bound Tony's wrists, working carefully at the tight knots. "For a minute there, I thought the same thing about you." He finally managed to loosen the bonds, and gently slipped the ropes off.

Since Tony could not see, Gibbs warned him softly, "I need to clean these gashes. I'm going to get some water, okay? I'll be right back." After dampening the discarded blindfolds, Gibbs set about cleaning up as much of the blood as he could. He spoke softly as he worked, guiding the injured man through the process.

For his part, Tony tried to be still but could not help the occasional flinch, whimpering softly from time to time. To take his mind off the misery he whispered, "It was my father." He hesitated. "I…asked him why."

Gibbs paused and waited silently.

"He didn't say a word. But I know he was the one who..." Tony's voice shook as he trailed off.

Gibbs knew that Tony's emotional agony must have rivaled his physical pain. He also knew that there were no words sufficient to lessen the sting of such betrayal, but he did the only thing he could. He gently squeezed the back of Tony's neck and said sincerely, "I am so sorry that you've never had a real father. One who loves you unconditionally and cares what happens to you." _One who would sooner die than dream of laying a hand on you,_ Gibbs continued inwardly. For the moment he was glad that Tony could not see. He had no doubt that fury raged clearly in his eyes.

To his surprise, Tony actually smiled. "That's not true," he whispered hoarsely. "I do have that."

Gibbs felt a swell of pride. _He __**does**__ understand. Jesus. After all these years I finally got through to him._ "Yes, you do," he said gruffly as he affectionately squeezed Tony's arm. "And always will."

At that moment, Gibbs was distracted by a loud crash outside the door. Tony jerked under his hand and began to shudder. "Oh god," Tony whispered. "No more. Please, no more."

"It's okay. Shh, it'll be okay." Gibbs kept a firm grip on the younger man's arm, trying to reassure his traumatized friend. "I'm here, I've got you." _God help us all if they try to take him again._

The door burst open and Gibbs blinked in surprise at the figure standing there.

"Tobias?" He said in disbelief.

Special Agent Fornell's eyes widened when he got a look at DiNozzo. After calling for paramedics, he knelt beside the two NCIS agents. "They're outside, it'll just be a minute. God almighty, Jethro. What happened to your boy?" He took in Gibbs' head wound with a concerned glance. "What happened to you?"

Gibbs felt the anxiety leave Tony's body as he finally recognized the voice. "Hey, Fornell," he croaked. "Took you long enough."

At the annoyed look on the FBI agent's face, Gibbs couldn't suppress a grin. He squeezed Tony's arm approvingly.

"We didn't have much to go on," Fornell explained tersely. "And your captors managed to disappear without a trace. There's no one here."

"I killed one of them earlier, but the body is gone," Gibbs said softly, reminded of the incident by the pounding in his skull.

"Okay, we'll check it out." Fornell sighed. "Agent DiNozzo, do you have any idea who did this?"

Gibbs shook his head. _Not now,_ he mouthed to his old friend. Out loud, Gibbs said, "We'll worry about the details later."

"But-" Tony began to protest, although his strength was waning.

"No," Gibbs said with finality. "Later."

The arrival of the paramedics precluded further discussion, and Gibbs made sure to stay within an arm's reach as the EMTs tried to prepare DiNozzo for transport. Tony was clearly in a tremendous amount of pain and cried out in distress each time someone touched him, no matter how lightly.

Gibbs tried to calm the younger man, knowing that being unable to see was adding to Tony's disorientation. He put a hand on the back of Tony's neck and murmured softly, "Shh, take it easy. They're just trying to help. I know you're hurting." Tony relaxed slightly with the contact, but Gibbs was disturbed by the way he still trembled. _You hang in there, DiNozzo. You're going to make it, I promise. I'm going to help you through this._

One of the paramedics held up a syringe, indicating to Gibbs that he was ready to inject some painkillers. Gibbs warned his agent that the needle stick was coming, but even so Tony could not keep from jerking in surprise. He whimpered miserably. "I know," Gibbs repeated in the same soothing tones. "I know. You'll feel better in a few minutes." _I hope._

Within minutes the drugs took effect and to Gibbs' great relief, Tony succumbed to blissful unawareness.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thank you so, so much for all of your continued support and fantastic reviews. I hope you like this chapter, I'm not entirely sure it came out the way I wanted. We're getting close to the end but not quite there yet, and because of the holidays there may be a bit of a delay while I'm out of town. But don't worry, I'll finish it up ASAP. Standard disclaimers apply, particularly the one about my non-existent level of medical expertise. -abby

**********

Much to the ER staff's annoyance, Gibbs stubbornly refused to leave his agent's side. He knew that Tony would be disoriented if he happened to wake up. _I will not let him think that I've abandoned him.__ He needs to know that he's safe._

When a young doctor tried to get Gibbs to step into an adjoining treatment room to have his bullet wound looked at, he stared her down with such ferocity that she quickly backed away. Five minutes later she reappeared with the supplies she needed, and wordlessly took care of him at Tony's bedside.

Some time later, DiNozzo was moved into a private room. Gibbs sighed as he watched the medical staff gently place his unconscious agent in the bed. The damage to Tony's back and chest was considerable, so they carefully arranged him on his side to keep his body weight off of the painful injuries.

The nurses and doctors eventually cleared out and Gibbs was left with the instruction to call if there was a problem. He simply watched Tony for a long time, studying the dark purple bruises around his badly swollen eyes and his busted, split lips. Tony's raw, bloody wrists had been wrapped in gauze, and it had taken a large number of sutures to close up the wounds on his torso. His upper half was clothed only in the heavy bandages that reached from his waist to just under his arms.

Gibbs sighed heavily and scrubbed his hands down his face. Suddenly he noticed that they were still stained with blood, some of it his own, but most of it DiNozzo's. He slowly got to his feet. Satisfied that Tony was asleep, Gibbs went into the tiny bathroom and closed the door. He turned the water on full-blast and began fiercely scrubbing his hands, as if he could wash away the horror of the last twenty-four hours.

While Gibbs was in the bathroom, Tony awoke with a start. He immediately realized that he could not see. _W__hat happened? W__here am I?_ Disoriented and anxious, he began blindly groping, searching for anything that could give him some reassurance. "Boss?" he asked apprehensively. "Boss?" _He wouldn't abandon me. He has to be here._

When there was no response, Tony became confused. _Where is he? __I thought__ he was alive…he is. He **is** alive. __Fornel__l__ found us, right? That was real, wasn't __it?_ The painkillers were making him foggy and he was having a hard time thinking straight. He could no longer distinguish reality from his agonizing memories. "Boss?" When Gibbs still did not answer, Tony began to panic. _Oh god, I've lost it completely. Gibbs is really dead. __It was all in my mind. He's gone. No one will save me now__._

Trapped in terrifying darkness, devastated by grief, Tony couldn't keep it together any longer. His whole body shook as he began to hyperventilate._ Oh god, no more. I can't take any more of this torture._

At that moment Gibbs finished washing up and stepped out of the bathroom, still drying his hands. The door snapped shut with a loud click and Tony cried out in alarm at the unexpected sound. Gibbs rushed to his side, concerned.

"Hey Tony, you okay? Do you hear me?" Gibbs asked worriedly. Tony continued gasping for air in short, panicked bursts. He did not respond to Gibbs at all, so the older man tried again as he reached for the nurse call button.

"DiNozzo, it's Gibbs. You're in the hospital. Calm down." Gibbs hesitated for a heartbeat before gently reaching for the younger man. Tony tried to jerk away, terror evident on his damaged features, but the older man was insistent. He carefully placed one hand on either side of Tony's face and leaned in close, just as a nurse rushed through the door. "Tony. I need you to listen to me now. It's me. Gibbs. It's Boss. Okay? I'm here. I promise. You're not alone. I'm right here."

The nurse stood back and watched as Tony's breathing began to even out. Gibbs continued to coach him softly. "That's a good job. Breathe for me. Nice and easy. There you go, just breathe." He felt the nurse's eyes on him, and looked up long enough to nod. _We're fine,_ he mouthed, _thanks._ She nodded in response and left as quietly as she had arrived.

"Boss?" Tony whispered, his battered face still cupped in Gibbs' hands. "Is it really you?"

"Yeah, Tony. It's me. I promise." _God, I made a horrible mistake. I should never have left the room. He's terrified, and he has every right to be._

Tony's voice trembled slightly. "I thought…" he trailed off. _ I thought you were dead, I thought I was alone…__I thought it was all over. I'__m __ scared__. Don't leave me, please don't leave me alone. _Tony could not shake the feeling of panicked dread and knew that he was still shuddering, but was helpless to stop it. _What is wrong with me? _Tony was unaccustomed to losing control_. _Over the years he had worked so hard to keep a tight hold on his emotions, to keep the people around him from seeing how he really felt. But now it seemed that he was teetering on the edge. He'd never felt so lost. "Boss," he whispered, but found he didn't know what he had been planning to say.

"Shh, I know. I'm sorry. I won't leave again. I thought you were asleep." Gibbs let go of Tony's face and reassuringly squeezed his hand. "I'm staying right here."

The nurse came back in with a morphine-filled syringe, which she quickly injected into Tony's IV. Gibbs again nodded his thanks, and she smiled in return on her way out the door.

Tony was fading, but he rallied long enough to mumble sleepily, "Stay?"

Although Tony could not see it, Gibbs nodded. He squeezed his agent's hand again as he said, "Absolutely. I'll be here when you wake up. That's a promise."

----------

After some discussion, Gibbs and the doctors decided to put Tony under light sedation until the swelling went down and he could open his eyes. While his physical injuries were not critical, the psychological trauma from the experience was clearly severe. They hoped that when Tony could again see, he would be better equipped to cope. It wasn't much, but it was somewhere to start.

Gibbs kept a constant vigil at Tony's bedside for the next forty-eight hours, stepping out of the room only when someone else was available to take his place, and even then he never left for longer than fifteen minutes.

The rest of Gibbs' team had arrived at the hospital shortly after Tony was sedated. One by one, Gibbs pulled them aside and explained the situation. The reactions were about what he had figured, ranging from Tim's mortified disbelief to Ziva's righteous fury. However, they all said exactly what Gibbs knew they would. That they would do whatever it took to help Tony recover, that they would be there for him. Gibbs had expected no less.

The next day, Abby sat with Tony while Gibbs went on a coffee run. As he came out of the cafeteria, weak hospital coffee in hand, the lead agent bumped into Fornell.

The FBI agent apologetically informed Gibbs that they had been unable to arrest DiNozzo's father.

Gibbs scowled. "Tony said he was in the room." He paused for emphasis. "I believe him, Tobias."

Fornell shook his head. "I know, Jethro. I do too, but unfortunately there's not a shred of evidence to prove it. The old man's got an iron-clad alibi. Several of his employees verified that he was at the office the entire time you were being held."

"They're lying," Gibbs said simply. "That bastard nearly beat his own son to death. And god only knows what sort of psychological damage he caused." _You didn't see him, trying so hard to keep it together as his world was falling apart._

"I know, and I really wish I could prove it. But since neither of you actually saw his father, there's not much I can do. The property where you were being held belongs to David Walker, but he also denies involvement. They're both claiming that rogue employees must have been responsible and between the two of them, they've got an army of the finest lawyers money can buy. They're virtually untouchable."

"What about the one I killed? Did you find the body?"

With a nod, Fornell replied, "Yeah. We identified him as one of DiNozzo's staff."

Gibbs glowered furiously as he took a sip of his coffee. "So what's the word?"

Fornell sighed, and briefly placed a hand on his old friend's shoulder. "We managed to link your dead guy to another of DiNozzo's people, along with one of Walker's. We're hoping those two will roll over on the others, but there's no doubt in my mind they'll all deny that their bosses were involved. I'm sure their families will be handsomely compensated for their _sacrifice_." He emphasized the word with disgust. "How many men did you say there were?"

"Five that I saw," Gibbs said as he rubbed the bandage covering his temple. The sutures in his bullet wound had begun to itch.

"We'll keep trying, Jethro, but it doesn't look good. You know how these rich guys are. Slippery bastards." He paused before sincerely saying, "I'm sorry."

Gibbs nodded. "I know, Tobias. It isn't your fault. I'm just worried about how this will affect Tony."

"Best of luck," Fornell said softly before taking his leave.

It had not been the news that Gibbs was hoping for, although he wasn't surprised. He rubbed a hand wearily down his face before rejoining Abby at his agent's bedside.

----------

Two days after Gibbs spoke with Fornell, the doctors decided to wean DiNozzo off the sedative. His injuries had begun to mend, and the facial swelling had finally gone down sufficiently. They warned Gibbs that it would probably be another half-day or so before the drug left Tony's system enough for him to awaken.

And as the doctors had predicted, it was almost exactly twelve hours later when Tony began to stir. He moaned softly as his eyes adjusted to the light, and groggily he took in his surroundings.

"Hey," he whispered, when he saw Gibbs sitting by the bed.

"Hey yourself," Gibbs replied. He carefully asked, "How are you feeling?"

Tony hesitated, silently taking stock of his situation. He inspected the IV dripping fluid into his arm. "Not too bad…morphine?"

Gibbs grinned faintly. "Yep. They've had you sedated for a couple days, until the worst of it could heal. You're still pretty juiced up." Gibbs had decided not to talk about the panic attack unless Tony mentioned it first.

"Mmm." Tony mumbled sleepily.

Gibbs studied his agent intently. Although he was pleased that Tony was finally awake and on the road to physical recovery, another part of him feared learning the answer to the question that had been plaguing him. _How bad is the damage?_ Gibbs knew that Tony was a fighter - _one of the __most determined_ _people I've ever known __-_ but even the strongest of men had a breaking point. Gibbs had spent the past two and a half days praying fervently that Tony had not reached his, even as he feared the worst.

The panic attack had honestly terrified Gibbs. The Tony he'd seen that day had been a frightened, shivering, lost little boy. That Tony was a far cry from the one that Gibbs normally knew. Gibbs' Tony was a cocky, self-assured, irritatingly cheerful ex-cop, who by all outward appearance was not afraid of anything.

Gibbs had hardly slept at all since it happened, instead spending his nights pacing the room, haunted by the look of sheer terror he'd seen on Tony's bruised features that day. He had come to realize Tony's one true fear. _I'm all he has and he thought __I had abandoned him__. He thought he was completely alone. _

"Boss?" Tony finally asked what Gibbs had been dreading. "Did you get him?"

Gibbs didn't need to ask who Tony was talking about. He sighed, and chose his words carefully. "There's no way to prove that he was there."

Tony did not say anything for a long time. When he finally spoke again, he simply said, "Sounds about right."

"I'll get him. I swear to you, Tony, I **_will_** get him. Whatever it takes." Gibbs said adamantly.

"No, Boss." Gibbs was about to argue when Tony held up a hand and continued, "I'm done. He deserves to be locked up for this and probably a dozen other things, but people like him are above the law. I don't want to deal with it anymore. I _can't_ deal with it anymore." Tony took a deep breath and finished with, "And if something happened to you, that would be more than I could handle. I have everything I need right here. Thank you for looking out for me."

A faint smile crossed Gibbs' face for an instant, then became a frown. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

Tony shook his head. "You were willing to. That's all that matters."

A genuine smile finally blossomed across Gibbs' exhausted features. "I will **_always_** be willing to do that, Tony. You can count on it."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you as always for the lovely reviews. I ended up completely rewriting this chapter from my original draft, hence the delay (well, that and holiday travel). I hope you all like the result. There will be one more chapter after this. Thanks again for bearing with me! -abby

**********

A few days later Tony was deemed fit enough to leave the hospital. The senior field agent was stiff and very sore, but the doctors were pleased with his physical progress. However, he would need help tending to the deep lacerations on his back so it was decided that he would stay with Gibbs for a while.

There was another - unspoken - reason for Gibbs' insistence that Tony stay at his place. The nightmares were expected, and so far had been surprisingly infrequent, but the hospital psychologist had diagnosed Tony with a mild case of post-traumatic stress disorder. Gibbs wanted to keep an eye on the younger man, to be within a shout if he was needed.

After taking care of the release paperwork, Gibbs returned to Tony's room and found his agent sitting on the bed, staring absently out the window. His wrists were raw and painful-looking, and his fractured left cheekbone was deeply bruised and still swollen. But the other facial wounds were fading quickly and the remainder of Tony's injuries were easily covered by his shirt. He looked none the worse for wear, considering the condition he'd been in when Fornell's team had found them.

"Tony." Gibbs kept his tone gentle, but the other man still startled slightly. _The psychologist said eventually the jumpiness will pass, that we need to give it time._

"Hey, Boss. I'm ready when you are." Tony grinned, but it held none of his usual exuberance.

"Let's go. I talked them out of the wheelchair," Gibbs said with a smile. "You're welcome."

Tony returned the smile, slowly got to his feet and followed Gibbs out of the room. Neither man spoke as they made their way to the parking lot. Once they arrived at the car, Gibbs carefully helped lower Tony into the passenger seat. The senior field agent gingerly settled himself against the cushions and buckled his seat belt, wincing a little when it hit one of the welts on his chest.

"Okay?" Gibbs asked as he buckled his own restraint. _He's so quiet and withdrawn, not like the Tony I know, but the doctor says that's normal at this point too._ "Normal" or not, Gibbs still found the silence unnerving.

The younger man nodded, and Gibbs started the ignition. The twenty-minute ride was silent, with both men lost in thought. Once they reached Gibbs' house, Tony waited for his boss to come around and help him out of the car.

They had just settled into the comfortable den when Tony commented, "I could really use a shower."

Gibbs had figured as much. That was always the first thing Tony wanted upon getting released from the hospital. "Yeah? Well, the doc said that's fine as long as you're careful. Do you need help?"

"Nah, I'll manage," Tony assured his boss as he carefully levered himself off of the couch.

When ten minutes had passed and Gibbs still didn't hear the shower running, he grew concerned. He called up the stairs as he climbed. "DiNozzo? You all right?"

There was no response, and Gibbs took the last four stairs in two strides. "Tony! Hey!" He knocked on the bathroom door. "I'm coming in!"

Gibbs carefully opened the door to find his senior field agent, stripped from the waist up, standing completely motionless. Somehow he'd managed to angle the mirror on the medicine cabinet so that he could see his damaged back in the larger mirror over the sink.

Tony was staring in silent dismay, obviously horrified by the ugly welts and cuts that crisscrossed his entire back. Black sutures stood out in stark contrast to swollen, red skin. The entire area was mottled with dark bruises and fragile scabs, and it was clear that the scarring would be extensive. It was a disturbing sight, although it was healing well and already looked far better than even a few days before.

"Hey." Gibbs grabbed Tony's upper arms and gently turned him away. "Don't. You don't need to see that."

He looked the younger man in the eyes and saw a flash of agony before Tony managed to cover it. Over the past few days Tony had been fighting to regain control, attempting to rebuild his thick emotional walls. After filling his teammates in on the sordid details of their capture, Tony had tried to play it off. He'd actually done an excellent job with his usual smoke and mirrors, convincing almost everyone that he was fine, that he was not phased by his father's unthinkable brutality. Gibbs was not fooled. He knew that Tony was a master at deflection, and used humor and self-deprecation to hide his unease. Around the others the lead agent went along with it, knowing that Tony was coping in his own unique way. But in private, he had been gently coaxing Tony to open up. However, talking was not Gibbs' strong suit. It had not been easy for either of them.

For a moment Tony seemed unable to speak. Finally he choked out, "Why? Why did he do this to me?"

Gibbs did not have an answer, so did the only thing he could. He carefully drew his miserable friend into his arms, and held him for a long time. At first Tony stiffened at the contact, and Gibbs reassuringly squeezed the back of his agent's neck. Finally he felt Tony begin to relax. He steered the younger man into the upstairs guest room and eased him onto the large bed, where Tony dozed almost immediately. With a heavy sigh, Gibbs pulled the door shut as he left. _If I ever get my hands on his father I will show him what abuse feels like._

----------

The nightmares were frequent that night. Gibbs rushed across the hall into the guest bedroom at least once an hour, responding to the anguished screaming that awakened him.

Around 0300 Gibbs heard Tony began to stir for the fifth time. The stirring turned to thrashing almost immediately, and Gibbs came through the door just as Tony began to yell. Gibbs reacted as he had every time before, hoping that the repetition would help Tony feel secure. He threw on the overhead light and knelt beside the bed, being careful not to touch the sleeping man. He'd made that mistake once and it had not ended well.

"Tony, it's Gibbs. You're safe. I've got you." They were the exact words he'd repeated each time, and they had the same effect. Tony quieted and briefly opened his eyes. Once he saw his boss sitting by the bedside, he relaxed and fell back asleep almost instantly.

Since he wasn't getting sleep anyway, Gibbs decided to try something new. He got up and turned off the light, then quietly lay down on the other half of the queen-sized bed. Tony mumbled faintly, but as Gibbs listened his breathing evened out.

After a while Gibbs dozed, and it wasn't until 0645 that he realized Tony had slept peacefully for the remainder of the night. The older man silently rose and slipped out of the room before his agent began to stir. He knew Tony would be mortified that his boss had been babysitting him all night long, and Gibbs had already decided that some things were better left unsaid.

Gibbs went downstairs to the basement while he waited for Tony to wake up. It wasn't long before Gibbs heard him moving around in the kitchen. The lead agent put down his sander and wiped his hands before heading up the stairs.

The senior field agent had his back to the basement doorway as he rummaged through the cabinets. Without thinking, Gibbs spoke up. "Need something?"

Startled, Tony gasped and dropped the glass he'd just pulled off a shelf. It shattered on the tile with a loud crash, and Tony jumped at the sound. He stood in the middle of the room, frozen in fear.

Gibbs was at his side instantly, and cautiously put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He could feel the fine tremors running through Tony's body and tightened his grip reassuringly.

After a minute Tony looked at his boss, wide-eyed and panicky. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he knelt to clean up the mess with trembling hands. "It was an accident."

Gibbs knelt beside him, knees popping as he did so. "I know. And I'm not worried about that glass. I'm worried about you." He gently guided Tony's hands away from the glass shards. "I shouldn't have sneaked up you you like that, it's my fault."

Tony sat down heavily as he suddenly blurted out, "No, it isn't. It's me. I can't deal with loud noises, I jump whenever someone enters the room, and I have to sleep with a night-light because I can't cope with the dark. I should be stronger than this! I've tried to be strong, Boss. I have, but..." his voice grew quiet as he continued, "I guess I really am weak." _My father was right._

Gibbs eased himself the rest of the way to the floor and sat beside his friend. "Tony, look at me." The younger man could not seem to meet his superior's gaze, instead choosing to stare at his hands. He clenched them into fists to try and control the shaking, to no avail.

But Gibbs wasn't about to let it go. "Look at me, _please_. This is important." Gibbs gently lifted Tony's chin until they were eye-to-eye. "You are _**not **_weak. You're the strongest person I have ever met, but you've been through a lot. You have to give it time."

Pain was evident on Tony's face as he whispered, "I should be able to deal. It's not like he's never hit me before."

Gibbs rubbed his forehead. He didn't know how to respond to that. _No one expects you to act as if everything is back to normal, to go on as if nothing happened. How can I make you understand that?_ Gibbs mentally cursed DiNozzo's father before saying firmly, "Tony. You've been under more stress and had more trauma in the last few days than most people have in their entire lives. And you should never have had to deal with any of it." He sighed. "Do you trust me?"

Tony did not hesitate. "You know I do, Boss."

"Good. Then I need you to listen." Gibbs paused to make sure he had Tony's full attention. "You don't have to fight so damn hard around me."

Tony searched the older man's eyes, and saw nothing but sincerity and affection. Eventually he gathered his nerve and whispered, "I'm scared, Boss. I'm really scared that I won't be able to get past this."

Gibbs gently grabbed his agent by the shoulders and again looked him square in the eye. "You _**will**_. I promise you will. And I'll be here every step of the way. But you need to stop fighting it. It's okay that you're hurting. I'd worry if you weren't." He tapped Tony under the chin and sighed. _I know he knows this, but he needs the reassurance. It's time for him to hear it out loud. _Gibbs took a deep breath and said gruffly, "I am very, very proud of you." He paused for a heartbeat. "And I love you, exactly the way a father _**should**_ love his son."

That simple declaration was all it took. Tony finally allowed himself to give into the agonizing emotions that had been tearing him apart. There, on his boss' kitchen floor, Anthony DiNozzo - college athlete, former cop, federal agent and second-most stubborn man in the world - began to cry. Gibbs held him as he wept, great choking sobs that wracked his entire battered body.

"I wondered when you were going to let go," the older man murmured into the top of Tony's head. "I've got you. You're going to be just fine."

Tony cried for a long time. He had been holding it together for so many years that once the floodgates opened, he was helpless to stop the flow. Gibbs held him until the tears ran dry. Finally Tony gathered himself and pulled away. He looked at his superior through red-rimmed eyes.

"Thank you," he whispered softly. "For everything." _For giving me a chance, for being my mentor, for always having my six, for taking care of me when no one else would, for giving a shit when my own family didn't..._Tony knew that there were not words to convey everything he wanted to say to Gibbs. But one look at his boss' face told him it wasn't necessary.

Gibbs understood.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Here we go, the end! I hope it lives up to your expectations. I know that a lot of you wanted to see Gibbs beat the hell out of Tony's father, but that was never the direction I intended to go with it. I truly enjoyed writing this story, dark and angsty as it was, and look forward to starting another story soon. All standard disclaimers apply for this chapter (including the fact that I am not a lawyer), and if the show has previously established Tony's father's first name, I must have missed that episode. Enjoy! -abby

**********

Tony went upstairs to take a shower while Gibbs cleaned up the shattered glass. When the doorbell rang, Gibbs set aside the broom and went to answer it.

Tobias Fornell stood on Gibbs' front doorstep. "Morning, Jethro. How's DiNozzo?"

Gibbs sighed and said simply, "He's coping. What are you doing here?" He stepped aside to let his old friend enter, and the two men headed for the kitchen. "Coffee?" Gibbs offered as he started a fresh pot.

"Of course," Fornell replied. He eyed the remaining glass shards on the tile floor, but tactfully said nothing. As Gibbs finished with the coffee, Fornell got to the point. "It played out like we figured. We've got confessions from the men directly responsible for your abduction, but they refuse to admit that there was anyone else involved."

Gibbs sighed heavily. "Like Tony's father."

Fornell nodded. "I'm sorry."

The two men sat in silence for a while, sipping their coffee. Neither of them noticed when the upstairs shower stopped running. After a moment, Gibbs asked quietly, "Is there _anything_ we can nail him with? Fraud, insider trading, anything? Tony mentioned that he has some shady business dealings." It made Gibbs sick to think that Tony's father was going to get away scot-free. _Bastard almost destroyed his only child, in more ways than one._

"None that I've been able to find, and believe me, I've explored every option. He may be a monster, but he's a smart one. He knows how to cover his tracks. I truly am sorry, Jethro. Looks like he's going to get away with it." Fornell rubbed his temples. He'd been working long hours trying to make some sort of connection to the elder DiNozzo, and it frustrated him that he'd failed. The FBI agent knew how important Tony was to Gibbs.

They had not heard Tony come downstairs, so both Gibbs and Fornell looked up in surprise when he said softly, "You can't touch him. No one can. I told you, he's above the law." He paused, and regarded the two older men solemnly. "Besides, he doesn't think he did anything wrong. He just gave me what I deserved."

Fornell took that as his cue to leave and rose to his feet with a sigh. "Like I told Jethro, I'm sorry we couldn't catch him. I did try." For a moment he looked as though he was going to pat DiNozzo on the shoulder, but seemed to think better of it. "Let me know if there is anything I can do," he offered on his way out the door.

Tony sat down and buried his face in his hands. Gibbs gently squeezed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry too, Tony. I promised you we'd get him and now..." he trailed off with a sigh.

"Don't worry about it, Boss. It's not your fault." Tony's words were muffled around his hands. _It's over. He's gotten away with it, and he's undoubtedly gloating right now._ Abruptly he stood, knocking over his chair in the process. "I need to be alone."

Gibbs nodded silently, and watched his senior field agent disappear into the den. The television came on a moment later, and Gibbs smiled ruefully as he heard Tony grumbling about the lack of cable.

The older man stood and finished cleaning up the kitchen floor, letting his mind wander as he worked. He hoped that the emotional release would be a new beginning for Tony, that he could put the whole traumatic experience behind him and start to heal. Gibbs suspected that it would not be that easy, but knew that Tony had made progress just by letting go. _I just wish we could put his father away. That would help in terms of closure_. He sighed wearily. _But either way, he'll make it. It'll take time, but he's going to get past this. I'm sure of it._

Thirty minutes later, Gibbs was working downstairs in the basement when he heard the creak of footsteps overhead. Tony appeared in the doorway and slowly descended the stairs. Once at the bottom, he gingerly eased his sore body down to sit on the last step. "Hey."

"Hey," Gibbs replied casually. He knew that Tony needed space._ I think I've pushed enough, he'll talk when he's ready._ Gibbs silently continued sanding the boat, patiently waiting on Tony to collect his thoughts.

Tony sat quietly for a long time, just watching Gibbs work. After about twenty minutes he said simply, "I need a favor, Boss." He sounded reluctant, as though worried that Gibbs would refuse.

The older man didn't have to hesitate. "You got it," he replied immediately.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Don't you even want to know what it is?"

"Why? You think I'd say no?" Gibbs countered.

"I guess not," Tony smiled faintly. _Of course he wouldn't refuse. Don't you remember what he told you earlier? _ He paused for a beat before continuing. "I want to get my father out of my life for good."

----------

It took Tony's lawyer two days to draw up the necessary paperwork. Once completed, it was delivered to Gibbs' house by private courier. Tony carefully read everything over and when he was certain that it contained all of the provisions he'd requested, signed immediately.

Gibbs watched as Tony finished scrawling his signature on the various forms before sitting back with a heavy sigh. He couldn't quite read the expression on the younger man's face, so asked quietly, "You sure about all this?"

Tony looked his friend square in the eye and replied without a second's hesitation. "Yeah. I need to do this, Boss." _It's the only way to end things without stooping to my father's level. There's been enough violence already._

Gibbs nodded. The response was what he'd expected. "Let's go, then. I called in a favor, got the Navy's Gulfstream. It's waiting at the air field."

The flight was a short one, and it was less than three hours later when a taxi dropped Tony and Gibbs at their destination. They stood on the sidewalk for a few minutes as Tony gathered his nerve. Right before they were about to enter the tall building, Tony spotted a small shop nearby and had a thought.

"I'll be right back," he told Gibbs as he walked away.

Gibbs kept an eye on his agent from across the street, and waited patiently for the few minutes it took Tony to complete his purchase. Once Tony returned to his boss' side Gibbs asked gently, "You ready?"

_This is it. Soon you'll be rid of him and you can move on with your life. _The younger man took a deep breath. "Ready as I'll ever be," he confirmed softly.

With that declaration, Tony led the way as they entered the building and rode the elevator to the seventeenth floor. When the doors opened, the two men stepped into the main lobby of DiNozzo Enterprises.

The receptionist looked up from her desk. "May I help you?" she asked politely.

"I'm here to see my father, Marco DiNozzo," Tony said with as much confidence as he could muster. His calm outward appearance was in direct contrast to the anxiety churning in his gut.

The young woman looked puzzled. "I was unaware that Mr. DiNozzo had any children."

Gibbs did not miss the brief flash of pain in his agent's eyes, but Tony covered it before replying simply, "Just me. Will you tell him I'm here, please?"

As the woman turned away to make the phone call, Gibbs gently squeezed Tony's shoulder and quietly reassured him. "You can do this."

Tony nodded sharply as the receptionist turned back. "Mr. DiNozzo is very busy, but has agreed to meet with you briefly. This way, please." She rose from her desk and led them to a large conference room. "Make yourselves comfortable, he will be with you in a moment," she said as she closed the door on her way out.

Gibbs stood off to one side, planning to stay out of the way unless he was needed. _He has to do this himself._ He watched his agent carefully, noting the stiffness in Tony's stance, knowing that it wasn't entirely due to the still-tender lacerations across his back.

Tony clutched the thick file in one hand and a small box in the other, holding onto them as though his life depended on it. He took several deep breaths, trying to calm his ragged nerves. _Boss has your six. The old man can't touch you. Not here. You're fine, take it easy._

Just then the door opened and a tall, olive-skinned man entered. Gibbs was stricken by the resemblance between father and son, and it infuriated him all over again. _How unfair for Tony to go through life, having to look in the mirror every day and see the face of a person he loathes, a person who has caused him so much pain. _As he watched Tony, he saw the younger man's nostrils flare almost imperceptibly. While Gibbs could not smell the elder DiNozzo's cologne it was obvious that Tony did.

"Well?" Marco DiNozzo did not bother with pleasantries, nor did he pay any attention to Gibbs. "What do you want, Anthony?"

"Just a moment of your time," Tony said flatly.

The older man eyed him frostily. "Why should I do anything for you? Because you refused to help me, Walker wouldn't sell his company and I lost a lot of money."

Tony closed his eyes briefly. _And that's all any of this was to you. A business deal, a means to an end. How can you just stand there as if you have no idea what happened? Why don't you care how much pain you caused?_ _Stop it, Anthony, _he reprimanded himself._ Don't let him bait you. Do what you came for and get the hell out._ "Here." He handed over the large packet of legal documentation.

"What is this?" Tony's father accepted the file, and began paging through it suspiciously.

"In short, it removes any rights you may have had as my biological father and only living family member." There was far more to it than that, including a restraining order, but Tony knew full well that his father would have a team of lawyers combing through the document before the day's end. There was little point in elaborating so he simply concluded, "I don't want a bastard like you having any say in my life – or death. This absolves you of any and all rights or responsibility."

"Oh really?" Marco DiNozzo's voice was ice cold. "And who would want to take on that _responsibility_ in my place?" His emphasis on the word was clearly derisive, and Gibbs had to bite his tongue fiercely in order to keep silent.

Gibbs was proud of his agent's calm response. "Someone that is more of a father to me than you ever could be. Special Agent Gibbs" - he gestured in his superior's direction - "has offered to be my next of kin. He is my medical power-of-attorney, and all of my assets will be left to him in the event of my death."

The older man eyed his son impassively. "May I ask what brought this on?"

Tony again refused to take the bait, although the painful memory of his father's cruelty twisted in his gut as he said, "I think you know."_ I need to get out of here. _ He turned to leave, then remembered his second item and placed the small box on the conference table. "I bought you this. Think of it as sort of a parting gift." _But being rid of me is probably the greatest gift you have ever received._

His father sneered, lips twisted in contempt. "What do I want with cheap store-bought cologne? You know I have mine specially made."

"Yeah," Tony replied softly. "I know." He could feel his father's eyes tracking his every move as he turned on his heel, heart pounding in his chest, and stepped towards the door.

Gibbs was right behind him, and could not resist locking Tony's father in an icy blue stare. He kept his voice low, but knew his words were understood as he hissed, "I hope someday you realize what you've given up. But it's too late. If you ever come near him again, I will kill you. Consider this your final warning."

Tony pretended as though he had not heard the threat, but even so he felt a surge of relief. _He means that. You're safe now. It's really over. _ He relaxed as Gibbs squeezed the back of his neck in a silent display of support. The older agent kept his hand there as they left the room, and made sure that his words to Tony were loud enough for Marco DiNozzo to hear.

"I'm proud of you, son. Let's go home."


End file.
